ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Bank of America has given Monroe Community College $100,000, to expand its certified nursing assistant program.

At MCC, Syre Sampel is determined to prove it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

“I’m going to do it,” Syre said. “I’m going to pass that test, I’m going to study every day.” 

The 31-year-old Syre is in a paid, five-and-a-half-week program to become a certified nursing assistant…

“I helped my mom raise five other kids, and I’m a nurturing person,” Syre said. “I like to take care of people, and that’s kind of why I was led into the nursing field for that reason.”

It’s possible thanks to a new $100,000 grant by Bank of America. She’s one of 40 recipients, at a time where nurses are needed more than ever.

“We know there’s a gap,” MCC’s director of health care programs Marcia Lynch said. “We know there’s about 600 vacancies annually for CNAs. The different training programs here in Monroe County supply about 400, so there’s still about a 200 person employment gap.”

And Syre is doing it for her kids.

“I just wanted to be an idol to them, to show that it doesn’t matter what age you are, you can be something at any age you want,” Syre said.

She says being a single mother of three has its challenges, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

“Especially with a partner not being there, just having your kids be there for you, just mom, I love you, unconditionally,” Syre said “It’s different.”.

Despite everything she juggles, she always makes time to cook dinner, so she and her kids can eat as a family.

 “I wake up in a better mood the next day, especially if I had a stressful day,” Syre said. “Just coming home and eating dinner with them at the table makes me decompress most of the time.”

And that strength helps, knowing one day soon, she’ll be taking care of someone else’s loved ones too.

“This makes me want to do more to help other families,” Syre said. “Because sometimes you’re alone, and people don’t have that much support. So I want to be that support system for them.”